Circuit-closer for automatic train-stops.



No. 850,670. l TATIINTBD JUNE 16, T908. I.H.I.TN0H. CIRCUIT oLosBR TOR AUTOMATIC TRAIN sToPs.

APPLIOATIOII FILED In 2, 1907.

' z sIILIIzTsLfsHBBT 1` l UNITED STATES PATENT onirica.

JOSEPH H. LYNCH, OF RED 'BANK, NEW JERSEY.

GIRCIT-CLOSER FOR AUTOMATIC TRAIN-STOPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 16, 1908.

Application filed May'Z, 1907. Serial No. 371,514.

trolling the movement of ra way vehicles'by the use of an obstruction upon the permar nent Way adapted to operate a shoe upon aV passing vehicle whereby the desired electric al or meohanicaloperations may. be produced on said vehiclenecessary for giving a visual -or audible signal to the motorman or engineer or forl automatically cutting off the drivinv power and applying the brakes or for br about lother desired operations on such ve icles.

- My invention is particularlyuseful in those cases where the shoe on the vehicle constitutes a part of a circuit closer, although my4 invention ma be employed in other cases Where the s oe operates in a purely mechanical fashion upon' the devices carried by the vehicle. l

Y In my previous patent No. 817,497, dated Ap1;. -`1j0th, 1906,'1 describe and show an obstruction onthe permanent Way movable into and out of position or into'diierent positions for'en'gagement by the shoe on apassin vehicle.' s-

. y present invention-relates mainly to the 3,5 ,form or construction of the obstruction and4 tliemanner of mountin or oonstructinu the,y shoe which copfperates't erewith, the objectl, being to secure'a movement of the shoe andl its borinected parts in `two directions, `onel 40 verticalby engagement of the shoe withal horilrontal incline on the obstruction, and thef other` ahorizontal movement by engagementll' Wise lstated, this art of my invention einbodi s as its lea ing characteristic anfobstrucltion having two inclined 4or o eratingl surfacesione adapted to move the s ioe ver-y tically and the other to move it transversely `in order; to bring the Ashoe and its attachcih,r

parts tpI the desired po ition forojcratingl upon the devices carried y the veliiclle. i

yMy invention consists also in the improved of tile silice with a vertical incline..l Others ecial manner of mounting. the shoe and in t ie vdetails of construction and combinations of she and obstruction as hereinafter more particularly described and then specified in the claims.

My invention consists further in an iinpijoved combination ofl apparatus for automatically bringing the vehicle to rest in case the engineer or motorinan should fail to bring it to a stop before passing the guard point on the obstruction is coated. v

In the accompanying drai'vings; Figure 1 is a side elevation of' a steam locomotive having my improved devices applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the obstruction and casingr therefor upon vthe permanent vif'ay. Fig. 3 is a horizontal vertical section ermancnt way at which the through the casing and obstruction sonic olf i the partsA being shown in side elevation. Fig'. 4 is a perspective view oi the shoe and its attachments when employed to close iin electric circuit, ln Fig. 1 automatic train stop apparatus substantially thc sonic as that .described in my application for patent iled May 1st, 1907, S. N. 371,288, is shou'ii located in any suitable manner in the locomotive cab.

The operation of this automatic train stop apparatus is controlled, preferably, by thc action of a shoe 1S) mounted on thc pilot or on a truck of thevchicle and adapted toclosc a circuit open normally at two contact points 20, 20 as will be hereafter more particularly described. ,ln the circuit thus'closed and as clearly shown in thc diog'rann F l, is a trip elcctroniagnct 16 which trips a weighted circuit closer l() by witlulrawing a catch. 17 forming' or attached to thc armature of said elcctronifignct. when tripped the circuit closer or controller closes a circuit upon a point i8 and cnerg'izos a valve controlling iiiag'iiet ll whoseI movable core or armature is connected to thc valve rod ol a piston valvein casing 12 so that, by the action o t the magnet, a coiinection hctwccn pipes lan'd l-i will bc open. When the magnet isdenergized a suitnddc,springr as indicated closes the valve.

15 is a battery or other source supplying energy for working magnets l() and il. c

Pipe 13 leads from the tank ol' compressed through plunger rod 4, is adapted to o .'lhe 'latter in the case of a steam locomotive side thereof a pipe inder 6 containing a plunger for operating gage the brake controller 2 -pass from behind the piston t pipe 14 runs to a horizontal plane. `Said support consists plunger which, preferably of a vertical rod or rock shaft 30 crate adapted to turn in suitable bearings in a case or frame v22- secured to the pilot or other "part of the vehicle as well understood in thef art. A collar 31 on the rod prevents'the same fiom dropping, but allows rotation thereof.

Loose y connected with the shoe is an arm 26, which at its free end has an elongated yoke or eye enibracinglthe shaft 30 or other suitable guideand engaging a cushion or restoring s ring 28 from beneath.. Said spring 28 may 'e a coil spring on rod 30 and may have a bearing at its top against the underside of the cross-piece of the frame in which the rod 30 turns. Attachment -26 may. act. itself directly as a'circuit closer by engaging simultaneously the two contact springs 20, 20 when it is raised to a level with said springs and is also swung around to engagement therewithby the -turningof the shoe and the rock shaft or upport to which it is attached. l

Coiitact'springs 20,v 20 may be secured to an arm 29 or other attachment upon the frame or other part. When the shoe rises, it is also forced sidewise carrying with it the loose arm 26 which rides against or upon the inclined guide 22, or in close proximity thereto,said guide serving to turn the shoe and attachment back to their normal position when the parts descend by the action of a spring 28, which they are free to do as soon as the shoe passes the obstruction. The obstruction may-itself .be'mountedand operated in any desired manner as, for instance, in the manner described in 4my prior patent already referred to..v

25 is the casing containing the operating parts for raising the obstruction to the desired operating position or positions and'B' and 39 are vthe actuating electromagnets whose movable cores operate through suit-l able intervening mechanism on the obstruction-carrying frame as described in my prior patent. The obstruction itself is composite and embraces two parts,1t23, 24. The part 24 is provided with suitable'inclined surfaces -arranged horizontally and adaptedy to' raise air en the locomotive and cylinder 3 containing a upon the vehicle 4motive power contro ler l.

would be thc ordinary throttle lever and may be provided with a locking quadrant and lock rod provided with attachments for unlocking it from the handle end of the lever 1. An elbow lever 5 mounted on the rod is connected by its short arm with the lock rod while its vlong arm is in the path of a yoke or head on the otherend'of plunger rod 4 Aso that, as the plunger moves forward, the-rod will first operate on elbow lever 5 to unlock thel controller and will thereafter engage and operate the controller and throw the same l over so as to sluit off the motive power for the locomotive. From cylinder 3 at the leads to thev end of a c vlupon the air brake controller 2.

7 is the )lunger rod, the en'd of which, when the plunger moves ferward,i'will enand move it from olf positionto on position.

Air passes to cylinder. 6 and operates' the ilungcr therein, as soon as the plunger in 3 l'ias moved forward sufficiently to cut oil` the motive power, by which time it`will have cleared the opening in the-side of the cylinder, thereby allowing the oieratiiig air to firough the pipe in the side of the c 7linder 3 to' the cylinder where it acts to drive the plungeriii the latter forward and put on the brakes. As the plunger in (S moves forward it clears an opening in its side and allows air to pass' from behind it into a pipe leading to a cylinder 8. This it does only after it has moved sufficiently l'ar to fully apply the brakes. When' the air passes to cylinder 2i-it operates a plunger therein and the plunger rod engages )y its head i) the underside of the circuit closing arm l() and by resetting the same to engagementwi th the latch 17, opens the circuit of magnet 11. The latter then loses its power and thevalve operated by it closes thus shutting oli' the supply of air by which the various p'lungers are operated. The air retained in the plunger cylinders escapes or is bled lfrom them in the usual way by suitablcvents or exhausts of small capacity, as usual -in the art, so that now the various l plungers may he restored to the normal lposiveitically' disposed inclined surfaces 'adapted to move the shoe horizontally.

Obviously, the form of each obstruction may be varied without-departing) from' mv invention, the only lrequirement tion by the engineer or motorman amV the the part 24 shall be adapted to raise the shoe controllers may he operated to again put on and the part 23 to swing the shoe horizontally. 'f

the power and take ofl` tlie brakes.

ie construction and manner of mounting the circuit closer shoe is as follows Referrin more particularly to Fig. 4, 19 is the shoe,l preferably pivotally mounted at 19 on a suitable support adapted for rotation in a Suitable preparatory operatinginclines 24 may be used for starting .the shoe in the movement before it'reaches the vbstruction proper b which it is moved to operating position. im

the shoe vertically, `while the part 23 has two eing that ien the obstruction .is depressed,

essere n the slice, if raised at all, Will not rise sn'liil y same time swung by the horizontally operatthe circuit or do any other Work required of it laterally.

ciently to reach the level necessary for clos l ing the circuit on the vehicle or performing any tllfer required operation. But when the obstructionfis raised, the shoe will rise to the higher required level and being at the ing portion 23 of the obstruction Willclose it. Obviously, the obstruction may be raised by anyl desired mechanism or devices, when it is necessary to bring the automatic train stop Aapparatus into operation. Also, Whenever electromagnets are used they may be connectd into proper guard or controlling circuits in any of the various Ways known to the art. vWhen the obstruction is raised, and the vehicle carrying the shoe asses the same, the said shoe being operate( in the manner described', will close thecircuit of trip inagnet 16, thereby energizing valve magnet l1 and cutting off the motive power and applying the brakes. in the manner already described. After the brakes have been put on, the resettingl plunger in cylinder 8 resets the circuitl controller 10, thus denergizing the magnet 11 and said circuit closer is automatically latched in opencircuit position since the shoe 19 willA have passed the obstruction so as to open the circuit of the magnet. 16, By forming the obstruction .and mounting theshoe so that a double or compound movement is required to bring about the proper action of the devices connected to the shoe the dangcrlof accidental operation lfrom accuniulation"|` of ice or snow on the obstruction ishveryv much lessenedsince, as will be obvious, such accidental operation would not be brought about or eoinpletei'i vunless there Wercan accumulationfon both the vertical and horizontal surfaces of. the obstruction. Obviously shoes inay'be applied atie. oth sides of the vehicle and aconnecting rod may be employed between them as described in my prior patent bctorereferred to, so that when either shoe isvoperated, the circuit will be closed. l

What l claim as my invei'ition ist y 1` T he ci iiiliiiiation ol aA vertically movable shoe mounted for vertical movement on a horizontally movable support carried by'a moving vehicle, and an obstruction on the permanent way having surl'accs disposed in vertical and horizontal positions and adapted to raise the shoeand at the saine time move 2. 'lhe combination ol ahorizontally and vertically movable shoe on a vehicle and a composite obstruction on the roadbed adapted 'to inovc the shoe sidcwise while at thesaine-tiine raising it.

il. The combination ol" a pivotcd shoe on a vehicle, a vertical rock shaft on which the shoe pivoted and an operating arm connected to the shoe and engaging a bui'i'er spring by which the shoe and aiin may be rcturiied to normal position after being rinsed, or displaced, and means upon the permanent wayfor raising said arm during movement of the vehicle.

4.'l`he combination of a pivote-d shoe, a rock shaft on which the shoe is pivoted and adapted to turn in a plane transverse to the' 'plane of the movement of the shoe on its pivot, an arm looselyT connected with said shoe, a spring operating on said arm, and a vguide engaged iy the arm for l'turning the rock shaft and shoe to position, and means. upon the permanent Way lor raising said shoe and arm during movement of the vehicle,

5. The combination of the pivoted shoe,

the rock shaft upon which the shoe is pivoted, the arm loosel connected to the shoe and having a forke( end loosely eriibi'acing the rock shaft, and a spring engaging said arm and resisting the movement of the shoe, as and for the purpose described.

6. The combination of a shoe, a rock shaft u on which the shoe is piv'oted to turn in a n ane transverse to the rocking plane of the shaft, and a composite obstruction withV which theishee engages on two surfaces dis- .f posed so as to turn the shoe on its pivot and to inovethe shoe sidewise to rock the shaft. 7. The combination, substantially as described,'of a horizontally and vertically movable shoe on a vehicle, means for closing a circuit through the movement of 'saidshoe to the roper vertical and horizontal position, an obstruction on the permanent Way aoapted to be engaged by the shoe and to produce said movements,i a trip magnet on the vehiclc'in the circuit closed bythe operation of the shoe, a circuit controller tripped by said magnet, a valve operating magnet controlled thereby, a motive power controller and brake controller having operating plungers and con necting pipes whereby, on o eration ofthe valve, the said plungers will e actuated by lhiid under pressure.

yPhe combination of :ishoe niounted'on the vehicle, an obstruction on the road-bed Vadapted to be engaged. thereby, means for raising the obstruction to position for engagenient by the shoe, means for closing a circuit onthe vehicle when the shoe is operated by engagement with said obstruction, a trip magnet in said circuit,Y an automatic train stop controlled by said trip magnet and embodying means toi-.shutting oil the power and applying the brakes, a resetting device, and means l'or automatically operating the resetting device through the action oll 'the device which actuales thc brake controller and al'tcr the o icration of said brake ciudrollcr o apply the brakes.

lie

9. The combination ol a vertically and shuttin 0H the motivev power and applying 10 horizontally movable circuit closer en a movthe bra ies.A ing vehicle, an obstruction on the permanent Signed at New ork in the county of New way formed, as described, to produce a com- York and State o New York this 1st day of pound movement of the circiiit controller to May A. D. 1907. circuit closing position, an automatic train JOSEPH H. LYNCH. stop apparatus on the vehicle a trip magnet Witnesses:

on the Vehicle in the circuit of said circuit C. F. TISCHNER, Jr., closer, and means controlled by the latter for LILLIAN BLOND. 

